Do you ever have a day that makes you feel like God created it just for you?  Today was my day.  God knew that I needed encouragement and He sent me a special day to lift me up.  And it worked.

Last year, one of Angie's doctors from the epilepsy clinic at OHSU asked us to help him with a lecture.  He was going to be teaching 2nd-year medical students about rare neurological disorders, like Sturge-Weber syndrome, and how they are treated.  We were honored to be asked and to be able to help educate future doctors about recognizing these insidious disorders.  We got completely lost getting to the lecture hall, but still made it on time and it was as rewarding as we had expected.    Angie, of course, stole the show completely.

This year, Dr. Wray asked us to participate again and today was the day.  Dr. Wray gave me specific directions and a map and, guess what?  I got lost anyways!  Have you ever been to OHSU?  It is a complete and total maze.  Luckily, a first-year medical student took me under his wing and made sure we got where we needed to be-a 10-minute walk uphill in the rain, including having Angie get out of her chair and my hero carrying the chair down a flight of stairs.  He was late for his own lecture and he said it was worth it to get to meet us.   So sweet.

By the time we reached the lecture hall, with two minutes to spare, I was having an asthma attack from pushing Angie in her wheelchair up most of Pill Hill.  UGH!  I did not have my inhaler and I hacked and tried to catch my breath for about 15 minutes.  It was all worth it, though.  Dr. Wray told the group about Angie's history, having me give the specifics about her glaucoma and the onset of seizures.  He showed her MRIs before and after surgery (which I never tire of-there is only half of a brain there!) and actual photos of her brain taken during the surgery and talked about Sturge-Weber syndrome and the progression of the disease.  Doctor talk and such.  After giving the medical details, he asked me to tell the students what it was like to watch Angie have repeated seizures, fail treatment after treatment, and be told your child's best hope was having half of their brain removed. How was it to wait over 9 months for the life-saving surgery while agencies and managers fought over the details?  Oh my. That part is kind of blurry.   I hope my words were helpful to these humans who will someday be caring for precious angels like my Angie.  They were receptive and kind and had really good questions.  I appreciated Dr. Wray's focus on the human side of patients and their families.  It really meant a lot to me.

Here is Dr. Wray-one of Angie's heroes.  He actually participated in her life-saving procedure and was the first to meet with Toby and I after it was complete:

Towards the end of the lecture, Dr. Wray wanted Angie to get out of her chair to demonstrate some of her skills for the class.  She was very hesitant at first, but not for long.  Soon, Dr. Wray had opened a Hello Kitty jumprope and the two of them were twirling it around in front of the class.  You can see their reaction in the background:

The students were enthralled with Miss Angie.  Each time I finished answering a question she said, "Good job, Mom!".  She was just as emphatic the tenth time as the first and they loved her.  They asked her questions and she bravely bent down to the microphone to tell them, " I go to kindergarten school and my teacher is Ms. Stafford.  I have friends at school and I like to play with them at recess".  After the lecture, many students came over to greet Angie and she soaked up the attention.

It was perfect.  I loved watching Angie in the spotlight.  I loved telling future doctors how families are impacted by the experience of having a seriously ill child.  I loved having another opportunity to thank Dr. Wray for the gift of Angie's life.  And most of all, I loved that God created this day just for me.  Exactly what I needed.  Not a minute too late.